Arc-flash is the result of a rapid release of energy due to an arcing fault between a phase bus bar and another phase bus bar, a neutral or a ground.
During an arc fault, air operates as the conductor. Air assists in creating an arc similar to an arc obtained during electric welding. The “arc fault” is typically manually started by a failure along the path of conduction, such as a breakdown in insulation.
The cause of the short often burns away during the initial flash. The “arc flash” can be sustained by the establishment of highly conductive plasma around the fault. In arc flash incidents, the majority of injuries and deaths occur from an explosion or burns.
The plasma from the arc flash will conduct as much energy as is available limited only by the impedance of the arc. This massive energy discharge burns the bus, vaporizes copper in the electrical device and causes an explosive volumetric increase. The “arc blast,” conservatively estimated, has an expansion of 40,000 to 1. This fiery explosion devastates everything in its path creating deadly shrapnel as it dissipates and serious burns to any humans handling the equipment.
Several incidents have occurred in recent years which have resulted in injury and death due to these arc blasts.
The majority of these arc blast incidents occurred while a circuit breaker was being installed or removed from a circuit breaker cabinet. Since removing and installing circuit breakers requires a user to be in close proximity to switchgear being installed, and on some occasions, to be physically in the circuit breaker cabinet itself, it is a highly hazardous activity.
A need has long existed for a device that enables the installation or removal of electrical devices, such as circuit breakers, to be done with a remotely operated vehicle that can install or remove circuit breakers or similar types of electrical devices, from an electrical panel, such as a cell of circuit breakers or a circuit breaker cabinet.
A need has existed for a specialty installation tool designed for safety and reliability protecting a user from the deadly arc blast.
The present embodiments meet these safety and reliability needs, prevents death, destruction and explosions.
The embodiments of the invention can be used on existing switch gear and circuit breakers not designed for remote installation and removal.